Detail of sword of honour presented to Lord Nelson: 1798-1800

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Detail of sword of honour presented to Lord Nelson. This detail of the pommel shows a lion trampling on the French flag. This scene is set against a translucent blue enamelled plaque with a ship on the background. The Corporation of London presented this jewelled and enamelled sword to Admiral Horatio Nelson together with the Freedom of the City of London in 1800. As the inscription reads, this was to mark 'Testimony of the high esteem they entertain of his Public Services and of the eminent advantages he has rendered his country'. The sword was made for a left-hand grip, as Nelson had lost his right arm at Santa Cruz, Tenerife in 1797.